Unease about the latter idea will grow as evidence mounts to show that rewinding evolution may not be that difficult (see “Chicken revisits its dinosaur past”). The secret is not to find viable dinosaur DNA, which is highly unlikely, but in making major shifts in anatomy with relatively minor genetic changes.

But though these experiments are in effect creating a “monster”, they can bring important advances too. They can help pinpoint the sources of birth defects. The work also shows we can alter development by changing the way genes are programmed, sidestepping the need for gene therapy.

As a bonus, this research undermines creationist arguments about the impossibility of large-scale evolutionary changes. Who could possibly argue with that?